COUTURE COLLECTIONS: CHRISTIAN DIOR

by Jeremy Danté

PARIS – after the disastrous FW11 haute couture collection presented by the house of dior, i had my reservations about whether or not this season’s couture set would even be of any value. under the direction of dior atelier’s bill gaytten, the collection presented was flawless. seemingly inspired by the same aspects of dior archives that had inspired john galliano for much of his time at the house, the collection presented classic silhouettes of voluminous skirts with a bit of sheer flirtation that was accented by hand stitched floral embroidery. sound tracked by lana del rey’s “video games”, the theme of fantasy was well played & clearly translated. opening the couture presentation, which boasted a front row seat for actress cameron diaz, was karlie kloss of next models ny. use of houndstooth & the signature cat eye were seen on the runway, driving the presence of classical beauty even further. theatrical just enough to remind you that the house has not fallen, i was floored by each look- completely. a controlled palette of black, white & nude was seen as shots of red & some deep purples were added to the mix, but did not disrupt the timeless appeal.

looks in leather, accented by long length gloves were seen alongside techniques of exposed stitching, belted waists & beautifully ombre’d dresses. the power was definitely in the details for dior this season, which was evident in the surprisingly strong collection. writhing in regality, each look was more beautiful than the last & the gowns which closed the collection became more & more dramatized. crystal encrusted beading, plaid & layers upon layers of elegant textiles were presented. with the position of creative director still in the air, i was completely impressed with this season’s couture collection & began to question the need for a new director. under gaytten, whom has worked alongside galliano for quite some time, could be a shoe in. this collection being evidence enough, the house of dior is heavily based on concepts of classic beauty & christian dior himself had created a lifetime of inspiration that could easily be referenced by the atelier who has produced these looks each season. while there seems to be no rush in filling the position anytime soon, ready to wear collections for show season are rapidly approaching. it’s clear, the beauty we’ve come to expect from the house of dior is still very much present & rests on the skills of the atelier, who has done a commendable job in the absence of a director. unendingly inspired by how classic this collection is; im excited to see what will be presented for paris fashion week, when womenswear collection are presented in february. applause to bill gaytten for stepping up to the plate this season to slay with classic style & complete sophistication. [source]